Commonly owned PCT International Application No. PCT/IL02/00693 entitled Accommodating Lens Assembly and published on 27 Feb. 2003 under PCT International Publication No. WO 03/015669 illustrates and describes accommodating intraocular lens (AIOL) assemblies, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The AIOL assemblies each include a haptics system adapted to be securely fixed in a human eye's annular ciliary sulcus at least two spaced apart stationary anchor points so that it may act as a reference plane for an AIOL of continuously variable Diopter strength affected by a human eye's capsular diaphragm under control of its sphincter-like ciliary body and acting thereagainst from a posterior direction. The haptics systems include a rigid planar haptics plate with a telescoping haptics member for sliding extension. The haptics plate and the haptics member are preferably self-anchoring as illustrated and described in commonly owned PCT International Application No. PCT/IL02/00128 entitled Intraocular Lens and published on 29 Aug. 2002 under PCT International Publication No. WO 02/065951, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Commonly owned PCT International Application No. PCT/IL2005/000456 entitled Accommodating Intraocular Lens Assemblies and Accommodation Measurement Implant and published on 10 Nov. 2005 under PCT International Publication No. WO 2005/104994 illustrates and describes AIOL assemblies enabling post implantation in situ manual selective displacement of an AIOL along a human eye's visual axis relative to at least two spaced apart stationary anchor points to a desired position to ensure that an AIOL assumes a non-compressed state in a human eye's constricted ciliary body state, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Such in situ manual selective displacement can be effected post implantation to correct for capsular contraction which is a natural reaction which typically develops over a few months following extraction of the contents of a human eye's natural crystalline lens, and also a subject's changing eyesight overtime with minimal clinical intervention. Such in situ manual selective displacement can be achieved as follows: First, a discrete haptics system for retaining a discrete AIOL which is manually displaceable relative thereto. And second, a haptics system with at least two haptics having radiation sensitive regions capable of undergoing plastic deformation for in situ manual displacement of an integrally formed AIOL.
Commonly owned PCT International Application No. PCT/IL2005/001069 entitled Accommodating Intraocular Lens (AIOL), and Assemblies Including Same published on 20 Apr. 2006 under PCT International Publication No. WO 2006/040759 illustrates and describes an AIOL having a biasing mechanism for elastically deforming an elastically deformable shape memory disc-like optical element for affording a natural positive Diopter strength for near vision, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The AIOL is intended to be implanted in a human eye such that relaxation of its ciliary body causes its capsular diaphragm to apply an accommodation force for overcoming the biasing mechanism to reduce the AIOL's natural positive Diopter strength for distance vision.
Commonly owned PCT International Application No. PCT/IL2006/000406 entitled Accommodating Intraocular Lens (AIOL) Assemblies, and Discrete Components Therefor published on 5 Oct. 2006 under PCT International Publication No. WO 2006/103674 illustrates and describes AIOL assemblies enabling post implantation in situ manual selective displacement of an AIOL along a human eye's visual axis relative to at least two spaced apart stationary anchor points to a desired position to ensure that an AIOL assumes a non-compressed state in a human eye's constricted ciliary body state, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, WO 2006/103674 illustrates and describes preferred attachment plates for self-anchoring implantation in a human eye's annular ciliary sulcus.
Commonly owned PCT International Application No. PCT/IL2007/001056 entitled Intraocular Lens Implantation Kit published on 28 Feb. 2008 under PCT International Publication No. WO 2008/023379 illustrates and describes an IOL implantation kit for assisting in implanting an AIOL assembly in a human eye, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The IOL implantation kit includes a forceps-like insertor tool for clamping an AIOL heightwise between its leading and trailing surfaces for assisting in anchoring its leading haptics in a distal segment of a human eye's ciliary sulcus. The implantation kit includes a crook-like insertor tool for assisting in fixating an AIOL assembly's trailing haptics in a human eye's ciliary sulcus generally diametrically opposite its leading haptics.
Deployment of AIOLs in a human eye involves capsulorhexis for preparing an aperture in the eye's anterior capsule for enabling removal of its natural crystalline lens content. Capsulorhexis typically involves preparing a circular aperture having a between about 4 to 5 mm diameter, thereby leaving an annular anterior capsule flange against which the aforesaid AIOLS are urged from an anterior direction. Such deployment may or may not lead to a human eye's annular anterior capsule flange overlie its still intact posterior capsule depending on the natural thickness of the human eye's natural crystalline lens content. Separation between a human eye's annular anterior capsule flange and its intact posterior capsule enables growth of epithelial cells which naturally migrate towards the center of the posterior capsule's anterior surface which induces a secondary cataract causing the posterior capsule to become opaque. Such secondary cataracts are necessarily removed by YAG laser to restore vision. Moreover, such separation also diminishes the forces available for acting upon the aforesaid AIOLs to mitigate their accommodative capability compared to their theoretical accommodative power.